Grade 10 Civics
Branches of Government
Governments in Canada have three branches: (1) Executive, (2) Legislative and
(3) Judicial.
Table 1. Branches of Federal Government
Branch
General Role
Comprised of the Cabinet and the bureaucracy (i.e., public
Executive
servants), this branch carries out the government business,
manages actions, performs day-to-day operations and
implements laws of Canada.
Head of State is the Queen of England (…represented by
Governor General of Canada).
Head of Government is the Prime Minister.
Legislative
The legislative bodies of Canada. They make and debate the
laws.
It is also called Parliament.
Parliament consists of the monarch and a bicameral
legislature (i.e., an elected House of Commons and an
appointed Senate).
Comprised of judges and the various courts of Canada, this
Judicial
branch decides who broke the law and the punishment that
corresponds.
The Supreme Court of Canada is the court of last resort. The
Supreme Court has nine justices led by the Chief Justice of
Canada. Each justice is appointed by the Governor General.
This court hears appeals from decisions rendered by the
various appellate courts from the provinces and territories.
To offer an example, the Legislative Branch would create a law about the time
of year that a person could fish. The Executive Branch would see to it through
setting up various ministries and agencies that people only fished during that
time. The Judiciary would put anyone on trial that broke the law and fished
outside of the allotted time and would decide upon an appropriate punishment.
Branches of Government …2
Figure 1 shows the different branches of government withing the Government of
Canada. Note: the Queen is Canada’s Head of State. The Governor General of
Canada (…not shown…) is the Queen’s representative in Canada.
Figure 1. Flow Chart for the Branches of Government with Canada’s Federal
Government.
Branches of Government …3
Figure 2 also illustrates the three branches of government in Canada. As well,
the different departments within the Executive Branch are noted.
Figure 2. The Federal Government of Canada - Organization of the Three
Branches of Government
The Federal Government of Canada is organized into three main branches. The
organization is because there are three main responsibilities of government.
1. Making Laws – The work of making laws is shared by the Prime Minister, the
House of Commons and the Senate. All laws must have a majority approval
of the House of Commons and the Senate. Laws also require the approval of
the Governor General.
2. Interpreting Laws – Laws are administered and interpreted through the courts.
This is the work of the Judiciary. The Supreme Court of Canada is the
highest court in the country.
3. Providing Services – There is the day-to-day work of the government. The
Executive (Prime Minister and the Cabinet) undertakes federal duties.
Tradition means Canada’s Federal Government is connected to the British
Monarch. The Monarch has no real power in Canada. Rather, the Monarch,
represented by the Governor-General, acts on the advice of the Prime Minister.